Liquid low-level warning device



July 1, 1952 J. F. MORSE LIQUID LOW-LEVEL WARNING DEVICE Filed Dec. 17, 1947 FIG.

m0 T 5 $38 NR 7 n 0 r M m .F J M.

Patented July 1, 1952 2,601,894

automatically fg' "war exhaustien-er the'liquid in comprisesjgenerally; a syste is ma'm f'e'st throngs-an hem I, a mannerte invite attendee ththe supp y si ua. tion.-

available ivhe'ri the en haustedi Quite often, tionmay be repeated in the 'same-humafi error presen tion, the condition of supbly 'is' mat es and continues so in a manner demanding attention, without; however; completely crippling the u consumer end of the supply line.

It is, therefore-fan object-of the'invention to provide-a warningdevice for -a-liquidsi1ppl sy tem which is automatic while beingpositivah'd' effective, further objects being to provide such i p p w a device which'is coriti'niiing ihcharacter and m meter-vanes. fbrji s fifi which does not entail complete*interruption io f 0f fi W fi f fi' i d h supply! to thelo'ut liifwilllb'e a More particularly, it-isan etjea the in in shec'd'fof the motor 'eiewthetenta edih the tion'to provide a liquid-supplydevrce in "ythr throttlese'ttihglbr iii aqs'eries' of misfi 'fesf or b'oth'f: approachingexhaustion-of the iS tim in nyof U l 'flf- "malfunc fested byaidecreasedrate-offlow' short-offcb p' h mbi ';'the"d vi'" The invention is of particular p d-i1 0 auefiiel 'fi "131? 't'f unde'fc'onditionsdi supplyzsysfemyguch as asoline modifiedoperation;conditionswhicheonstitutea' mobiles, trucks -and other vehicles;- as described c0nsba nfir'e 3 Y w in the embodiment chosen for purposes of illus- M The flange I3 is provided to maintain the tration in the accompanying specification and amount of d Which is Operable during the shown in the drawing, in which: w rnin p ri d, he flan f nctioning as a 1 is a sectional tig view of a bafile to minimize overflow into the center of the gasoline tank employing suction withdrawal; c ta er 6 o Surging of the fuel occasioned by Fig 2 i a imm r i f t nk it gravity tilting of the vehicle, acceleration and decelerafeed; and 40 tion etc.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of In t mod fica o g. 2 which is for a Fi 1, gravity feed tank, all parts are functionally Referring to the drawing, there is shown in identical with that of Fig. 1, the take-01f pipe Fig. 1 a gasoline tank, such as used in auto-mod appendages bearing primed Characters, an biles, indicated generally by the numeral I. A a e b i provided in the base of the housflange 2 iveted ab ut an opening in th top Q-f ing 6 to accommodate the outlet fixtures, and this t t k body accommodates ith r w pipe modification therefore needs no further explana- 3, and the gas line is continued as at 4 through tion. a coupling nipple 5. The pipe 3 extends nearly Instead of the surge-p e t g fl e I3, an to the bottom of the tank I to utilize the gas cont t v d v m y pr a member surt t t t fullest, rounding the porous member 8, extending up into A cylindrical housing 6 having peripherally the tank I a distance to defeat the highest exspaced openings 1 is fixed, as by spot welding, to pected surges and affording communication near the bottom of the tank I in surrounding relation its bottom between the fuel supply and the porous to the pipe 3, and the housing 6 is provided with member.

It will be understood that the various elements comprising the invention may be varied within wide limits without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Thus, the exact shape, size and materials of the porous element and its container are susceptible of variation, and the porous member may be composed of any one of several types of material.

What i claimed is:

1. In a fuel tank for vehicles, an outlet pipe, said pipe having its opening located adjacent the bottom of the tank, a tubular member having appreciable wall thickness and composed of porous material, open at its upper end, surrounding the outlet pipe and extending above the bottom of the tank to a distance which determines the level at which the fuel may pass into the member and out of the outlet pipe at a normal rate, said porous member being of a character to allow a reduced flow of fuel from the tank to the outlet when the level of the fuel falls below the top of the member and an outwardly extending flange surrounding the top of the member to prevent fuel from surging over the top of the member.

2. In a fuel tank for vehicles, an outlet pipe, said pipe having a normal, fuel-reciveing opening located adjacent the bottom of the tank, a tubular member having appreciable wall thickness and composed of porous material, said tubular member being open at its upper end and substantially adjacent and surrounding said outlet pipe, and extending upwardly from substantially the bottom of the tank for a distance which determines the lowest level at which the fuel may pass into said tubular member through its open, upper end and thence out through said outlet pipe at a normal rate, said tubular member being of a character to allow a continued but reduced flow of fuel through the pores in its walls from the tank to said opening in said outlet pipe after the level of the fuel falls below the top of said tubular member, and until the level of fuel in the tank reaches the level of said opening in said outlet pipe.

3. In a fuel tank for vehicles, an outlet pipe, said pipe having a normal, fuel-receiving opennig located adjacent the bottom of the tank, a tubular member having appreciable wall thickness and composed of porous material, said tubular member being open at its upper end and substantially adjacent and surrounding said outlet pipe, and extending upwardly from substantially the bottom of the tank for a distance which determines the lowest level at which the fuel may ISO pass into said tubular member through its open, upper end and thence out through said outlet pipe at a normal rate, said tubular member being of a character to allow a continued but reduced flow of fuel through the pores in its walls from the tank to said opening in said outlet pipe after the level of the fuel falls below the top of said tubular member, and until the level of fuel in the tank reaches the level of said opening in said outlet pipe, a metallic housing surrounding and holding said tubular member, said housing attached to the bottom of said fuel tank and having an annular portion in spaced relation to said member, with openings of appreciable size to'permit free access of fuel to the outer surface of said tubular member in said annular portion. v,4. In a fuel tank for vehicles, an outlet pipe, said pipe having a normal, fuel-receiving opening located adjacent the bottom of the tank, a tubular member having appreciable wall thickness and composed of porous material, said tubular member being open at its upper end and substantially adjacent and surrounding said outlet pipe, and extending upwardly from substantially the bottom of the tank for a distance which determines the lowest level at which the fuel may pass into said tubular member through its open, upper end and thence out through said outlet pipe at a normal rate, said tubular member being of a character to allow a continued but reduced flow of fuel through the pores in its walls from the tank to said opening in said outlet pipe after the level of the fuel falls below the top of said tubular member, and until the level of fuel in the tank reaches the level of said opening in said outlet pipe, said tubular member comprising pressed, sintered, powdered material.

JOHN F. MORSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,028,377 Montanye June 4, 1912 1,470,775 Stephens Oct. 16, 1923 1,602,855 Muzzy Oct. 12, 1926 1,714,250 Stahl May 21, 1929 1,812,012 Muzzy June 30, 1931 1,906,277 McGee May 2, 1933 2,327,195 Kosky et a1 Aug. 17, 1943 2,393,423 Sekera Jan. 22, 1946 

